Never waste time dealing with a collection agency

By Jack, on March 17th, 2006

Just saw an email from the National Consumer Law Center in Boston about how they worked out a payment plan with a local utility for someone whon had $2,400 in unpaid bills. They had been asked for help from someone at a social service agency who had been trying to work things out with the collection agency.

They pointed out “… that once a utility ‘sends an account to collection,’ it becomes near-impossible to work out any type of payment plan or other arrangement with the outside collection agency.”

Instead the Consumer Law Center went back to the utility; got them to take the account back from the collection agency and negotiated a payment plan directly with the utility.

They ended the email this way:

PRACTICE TIP: Whenever you hear that an account has been ‘sent to collection,’ you should try to get the utility company to take the account back in house. It will then be MUCH easier to work out a payment plan.

In my opinion this is also true for any other creditor with whom you might be in arrears.